'Never stop trying': Realtor is the leader of the pack in motorcycle races

Published: Thursday, December 26, 2013 at 05:27 PM.

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"The Sportsmen Series was very exciting," he said. "I could feel this guy right behind me, but you don't know how close they are until you cross the finish line. Turns out he was 0.3 of a second behind me. At the National Challenge, I was going faster than I ever have and I looked behind me and I didn't see anyone. I had about a five and a half second lead, which is like the length of a football field."

It wasn't always the winner's circle for Dumas, however. In 1998, he entered his first race and ended "dead last.”

"I got creamed," he said.

But his interest in the sport wasn't extinguished. After a few sporadic races in the last decade, this year, Dumas made a pact with himself to try harder than ever and place in a race.

"The Dumas family motto is we never stop trying," he said. "I'm not as young as I used to be, but I am smarter."

Unlike other sports, motorcycle racing is not something you can typically practice, Dumas said.

30A resident and Realtor Bryon Dumas has a secret identity outside of his everyday life.

While some spend their weekends and free time golfing and fishing, Dumas is going as fast at 175 mph, racing his Ducati against competitors half of his age.

"It's kind of like a Clark Kent situation," he said.

Dumas' first started riding motorcycles at 8 years old. At 37, he decided to "step it up," with the famous Italian bike manufacturer. Today, at 52, the father-of-two is a national-title holding racer.

"People usually stop before they get to my age," the father-of-two joked.

Age didn't stop Dumas as he took home two first-place titles from the Sportsmen Series and National Challenge races in Birmingham, Ala. in October.

"I was in novice class, but I've now been bumped up to expert class," he said. "It felt good to bring something national back home to the beach."

Each race during that weekend was a different experience for Dumas.

"The Sportsmen Series was very exciting," he said. "I could feel this guy right behind me, but you don't know how close they are until you cross the finish line. Turns out he was 0.3 of a second behind me. At the National Challenge, I was going faster than I ever have and I looked behind me and I didn't see anyone. I had about a five and a half second lead, which is like the length of a football field."

It wasn't always the winner's circle for Dumas, however. In 1998, he entered his first race and ended "dead last.”

"I got creamed," he said.

But his interest in the sport wasn't extinguished. After a few sporadic races in the last decade, this year, Dumas made a pact with himself to try harder than ever and place in a race.

"The Dumas family motto is we never stop trying," he said. "I'm not as young as I used to be, but I am smarter."

Unlike other sports, motorcycle racing is not something you can typically practice, Dumas said.

"It's not like you can hop on your bike and go on I-10 at 100 mph," he said.

When it comes to race day, it's all about making quick decisions and trusting your judgment, said Dumas.

"I feel prepared on race day because in a lot of aspects of my life I have to make decisions under pressure," he said. "On the track, you can't second-guess yourself, there's no room for error. It all happens at such a fast rate."

Even though Dumas achieved his goal of winning a race, he doesn't plan on stopping yet.

"My daughters keep me active," he said. "I'll keep doing it as long as it's fun."

When he's not racing on the track, Dumas rides four-wheelers with his daughters on their farm in Ponce de Leon.

Although it won't be for a few more years, Dumas anticipates that his wife, Paula, will be teaching the girls how to drive.

"There are girls who race, but it's notsomething that I would push my daughters into," he said. "As far as teaching them how to drive, it'll probably be their mother."